


Astraeus

by iamsnowwhite



Series: Young Gods [7]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, F/M, nerd!bellamy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-05-05 03:27:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14608272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamsnowwhite/pseuds/iamsnowwhite
Summary: Bellamy studies the stars while Clarke is in love with the constellations of freckles that cover his skin.





	Astraeus

**Author's Note:**

> I had originally posted this fic last year, but there were a few typos and the perfectionist in me couldn't allow that. So here is a new, edited version :)
> 
> Titan of the stars, planets, and astrology

_ To be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars. _

\---

Clarke met Bellamy when she was eight and he was ten. Her parents had just gotten divorced and her dad moved into the same apartment building as the Blakes. 

She was playing at the playground behind the building when she first saw him. He caught her eye because he was sitting on the bench beside the jungle gym reading a book. 

“I like your glasses,” she had told him. 

“Thanks,” he said. “I like your shirt.” He grinned, this funny little smile that seemed shy and bright at the same time. 

She was wearing her shirt with Cinderella on it because it was her favorite and she almost never took it off. 

Clarke plopped onto the bench beside him and smiled when he looked surprised. “What's your name?” she asked him. 

“I'm Bellamy,” he said, looking at her expectantly. “Are you going to tell me your name? Or should I just call you Princess?” 

“My name’s Clarke, but you can call me Princess,” she giggled. “What are you reading? That book looks huge.” 

“It's over 500 pages, but a lot of them are pictures. It's called  _ The Inventions of Hugo Cabret _ .” 

He went on to tell her about the story and showed her the pictures in the book. Clarke told him that she could draw those pictures too, the artist used a lot of cross hatching and they were all in black and white. 

She had to leave a little after that but she asked him which apartment he lived in before she left. 

“I live in 1131, why?”

“So I know where to go when I finish drawing one of the pictures and want to give it to you.” 

Clarke spent a lot of time with Bellamy that summer. He showed her all his favorite books. He had a lot about mythology so she drew him a picture of Poseidon (she used Ariel’s dad as a reference) and Bellamy loved it. 

They didn't go to the same schools since Clarke went to the schools by her mom's house, but she always spent time with Bellamy whenever she was with her dad. 

When they got to high school, Clarke's friends from school teased her about being friends with a nerd who wore giant glasses and didn’t have name brand clothes. Clarke got new friends after that. She didn't want to be around people who were going to bully her best friend. It wasn't hard. Clarke was popular and lots of people wanted to be her friend. But she still hung out with Bellamy on the weekends and whenever she didn’t have too much homework, watching all the  _ Harry Potter _ movies and having competitions to see who could catch the most popcorn kernels in their mouth after throwing them up in the air. 

She realized she loved him when she was a junior in high school. He was a senior and still wore giant glasses just like the day she met him. He's a nerd who never went to a single football game and whose social life consisted mainly of hanging out with her and his sister. But she knew that he was it for her. In some way, she had always known that...

They went to the same college where he studied astronomy and she was premed, and he was the one to help her make the decision to switch to an art major instead. He was reserved when she introduced him to her roommate, Raven, but he eventually let his guard down around her. He was so used to being hurt by people and hated that Clarke was always making him meet new friends . But with Raven came Finn and Wick and with Wick came Jasper and Monty and with Monty came Miller. Soon he had a lot of friends. But he still liked Clarke the best. 

They were there for each other when Clarke's dad died when she was 19 and when Bellamy's mom died when he was 24 and Octavia was 18. They have this weird bond. They're in this together. 

\---

Bellamy and Clarke are at the store, shopping for food for Octavia's 21st birthday party. 

“It doesn't seem right that my baby sister is turning 21,” he tells her, shaking his head as he pushes the shopping cart down the aisle. “I feel like it was yesterday that I was sending her off to kindergarten.” 

“That makes it sounds like you're her parent. You were eleven when she started kindergarten, Bel,” Clarke says. She grabs two tubs of frosting from the shelf and throws them in the cart. 

“God you're so annoying, Clarke,” he teases, tugging on the end of her ponytail. 

She sticks her tongue out at him because she is a mature 25 year old woman and she knew it would make him laugh. 

“I feel like you said that exact same thing when I turned 21,” she says. 

“Well I'm still pretty sure it was yesterday that we were pretending to be beauty and the beast so...” 

“Maybe we'll do that at the party if we get drunk enough. That way you can be nostalgic and cry about getting old,” she says. She wraps her arms around one of his and leans her head on his shoulder. 

“I am old,” he states. 

“You're 27, Bel. That's not old. And don't give me that quote about you living a thousand lives because you read so many books.” 

“You know me too well, Princess.” 

“Of course I do, you're my best friend. Now come on, we gotta go to the liquor store next. You have Octavia's list, right?” she asks. 

“Yes,” he takes the list of of his pocket and hands it to Clarke. “I can't believe she wants pink lemonade vodka...” 

“That shit is a white girl's dream, Bel.” 

“Well I’m not white, I’m not a girl, and this shit is gonna be disgusting.” He pushes the cart towards the front of the store and she follows behind him. 

“We'll get you some scotch too and that way everyone will be happy,” she says, patting him on the back while he pays for the food. 

After they've gotten the alcohol too, they drive back to Bellamy's apartment. 

They're sitting on his couch, watching reruns of Doctor Who and arguing about which companion had the saddest exit from the show; Clarke unrelentingly says it's Donna while Bellamy rolls his eyes and says it was definitely Rose. 

“It was Bad Wolf Bay, Princess. That was heartbreaking.”

Clarke sighs, “You're a hopeless romantic, Bel...” 

“Exactly. And that's why I still cry at The Angels Take Manhattan. “ 

Clarke has to smile at that. Bellamy, a six foot tall guy whose weight is probably half muscle, has the soul of a kitten. 

“Okay that's pretty sad, I have to agree with you there,” she says. She lifts his arm and wraps it around her shoulders as she cuddles into his side. 

It's times like this when she wonders why Bellamy has never caught on to how she feels. She is literally snuggled as close as she can get, her head resting on his chest and her arms wrapped around his waist. Her face is practically screaming that she wants to kiss him every time she looks at him. But he doesn't notice. 

She'll tell him. One day she'll tell him how crazy she is about him. But she's scared. They'd still be friends if he didn't feel the same way, but then he'd know. He’d know and then find some other girl to watch documentaries and argue about JFK’s foreign policies with. He'd know and take some other girl out with him to watch the stars. He'd know and then marry some other girl and Clarke would give him her blessing and tell him how wonderful this girl is because she'd have to be for Bellamy to choose her and Clarke would have to listen to Speak Now on repeat for the rest of her life. 

Bellamy is her guy, her best friend in the entire world and Clarke is scared of change. But she'll get over that and tell him. As soon as she has a plan. 

He clears his throat while Amy is being told to keep her eyes closed and Clarke pauses the tv, looking up at him. 

“The museum is having this party, something about the anniversary of the opening and I wanted to know if you'd come with me,” he says. 

“As your date?” Clarke asks. She tries to go for a more teasing tone, but she's pretty sure she failed. She probably sounds more hopeful than teasing. 

“Well you'd-” he rubs the back of his neck. It's good he's nervous, right? If he’s nervous that means he wants it to be a date and he's just unsure of how to word his question. Right? “Yeah pretty much.” 

“I'll go with you, but if it gets boring you're sneaking me into the planetarium.” 

“Well that's a given, Princess.” 

“Good,” she says with a smile. 

“It's black tie by the way,” he adds. 

“That's my favorite kind of tie. I'm always down for an excuse to wear a fancy dress and heels.” 

He laughs and shakes head, “Ten year old me was right to call you a princess.” 

“Damn straight.” 

She'll tell him after the party. It's perfect. She'll get to see his dopey smile as they lie in the planetarium and he tells her about the stars and the planets and the constellations for the millionth time. And then she'll tell him. 

Clarke falls asleep on his couch that night after they order a pizza and play Mario Party 5 on the gamecube for a couple of hours. And like the dumb and caring man he is, Bellamy carries her to his bed and tucks her in, spending the night on the couch and most likely fucking up his back.

They make Octavia's birthday cake the next day and Clarke decorates the top with piped butterflies and martini glasses. 

“I didn't even know you owned piping tips,” Bellamy says. He's sitting at the island, fulfilling his job as supervisor. 

“I'm full of surprises, Blake,” she replies. 

“You're really not. I know pretty much everything about you.” 

“Not everything...” she says under her breath. 

\--- 

When Octavia gets to Bellamy's apartment a little later in the day, Clarke pulls her into the kitchen under the rouse of getting dinner ready. 

“Pretend tonight is the first time you've ever drank. I don't know if his fragile heart could take it if he knew you've been underage drinking,” Clarke says and they both laugh. 

“He's basically my parent at this point, he can never know. Just like he can never know about the tattoo I got three years ago,” Octavia tells her. 

“I'm glad you told me about that. Aren't you scared I'll tell him though?” 

Octavia shakes her head, “If he's my dad in this scenario, you're like the cool step mom that actually knows how to be cool.” 

Clarke nods and gives Octavia a high five. 

It's true though, Clarke is practically Octavia’s family at this point. Clarke was the one Octavia told when she had her first crush, when she had her first kiss, when she lost her virginity. So that's why she's invited to Bellamy and Octavia's family birthday dinner. Octavia requested fried chicken this year which Bellamy made himself. 

“Are we playing drunk twister tonight?” Clarke asks, grinning as she takes a bite of her chicken. 

“Oh totally. You and Raven get weirdly sexual when you're drunk, if we add twister to the mix it will be the funniest thing ever,” Octavia says. “I bet Bel would love to see that too.” 

“Octavia,” he warns. She just laughs, feeling satisfied having annoyed her brother. 

“I think Jasper playing drunk twister will be hilarious. He's already uncoordinated enough as it is,” Clarke says and they all laugh and agree with that. 

“Bel playing drunk twister would be great too, but I already know he’ll refuse to drink at all,” Octavia says. 

Clarke turns to Bellamy and crosses her arms, “You have to drink, Bel. I was promised beauty and the beast and I expect you to deliver.” 

“I can still be the beast if I'm sober. How do you expect me to hold you up if we're both drunk?” 

“My knight in shining armor,” Clarke says, leaning over to place a kiss to his cheek. The way the tips of his ears go a little red makes Clarke just a little bit happy. 

\---

All their friends come over a little bit later and Octavia seems very eager to get the party started. 

Clarke sits beside Bellamy on the loveseat and hand him a shot glass, “Just try the vodka.” 

“Are you serious?” 

“One shot won't get you drunk, you're not a lightweight like me,” she says, nodding to the shot glass. “Come on, you'll still be able to watch out for me and O after one shot.” 

“I'm not-” 

“You're my best friend, I know pretty much everything about you,” she repeats his word from earlier. 

He sighs, knowing he has lost this one, and downs the shot. 

Clarke laughs when he grimaces and puts the glass down on the coffee table. “That is disgusting, Clarke.” 

“More for us then.” 

“See now it's a good thing I'm not drinking. This way I can drive you to the hospital when you get alcohol poisoning,” he says. 

“Well before that happens, come watch Raven and I play drunk twister.” 

“Princess, you're not drunk yet,” he says, letting her pull him up from the couch. 

“Let's do something about that.” 

\---

The party at the museum is in a couple of days and Clarke is freaking out. She _ is _ going to tell Bellamy after the party, so she wants to look good. She figures that she'll always feel more confident wearing a super hot dress and some killer heels. She just doesn't know which dress is the right dress, or what heels are going to go with the dress she'll pick. 

It's such a trivial thing to be nervous about, but she knows it's better than stressing about what she'll say to Bellamy or how he'll respond. 

She decides to call Raven to come help her out. 

“911 Raven, we have a 911 situation,” Clarke says when she picks up. 

Raven groans, “Is this Clarke level 911, or Raven level 911?” 

“Clarke, definitely Clarke level.”

“Alright, what do you need?” 

“I need you to come over and help me find something to wear to Bellamy's party,” Clarke explains. 

“You're lucky I love you,” Raven says. 

“You know it.” 

Raven arrives a little later with a pizza and a bottle of soda in her hands. 

“It's like you read my mind,” Clarke says. 

“You only get one slice. The rest are for me as my reward for helping you.” 

“Fair enough. Now come on, I've already narrowed it down to three dresses,” Clarke says, dragging Raven to her bedroom. 

“Why are you so worried about what you're gonna wear? You never care about this kind of stuff...” 

“Because of... reasons,” Clarke mumbles. 

“You're finally gonna tell the nerd that you want to have his babies?” 

“What?! How did you-” 

“Please, everyone knows that you're in love with him. Wick thought you two were dating when he first met you.” 

“Well-” 

“You two are literally  _ always  _ touching each other. It's like you're literally attached at the hip.” 

Clarke sighs and flops back onto her bed, “I'm that obvious?” 

“Afraid so, Griffin,” Raven pats her shoulder. 

“Is he that obvious too?” 

“He looks at you like you're a star. And that nerd loves stars.” 

“He does love stars...” 

“If he ever got you pregnant I bet he'd call you a dying star because you’ll expand and then collapse,” Raven says, laughing at her own joke. 

“Just help me pick a dress would you?” 

Raven laughs again before walking over to Clarke's closet. “This one,” she says, throwing a dress at her. “It's blue and sparkly and starlike.” 

Raven covers her mouth with her hand to cover up a laugh. 

“You have another space joke, don't you?” Clarke asks. 

“You could name your daughter Stella. Or Luna!” 

Clarke laughs, “Or Nova.” 

“You guys could drive a Range Rover.”

“That one was weak.”

“Hey Clarke?” Raven asks, biting back a smile. 

“Yes Raven?” 

“What's Bellamy's favorite candy?” 

Clarke rolls her eyes. She knows where this is going... “I don't know, Raven. What is Bellamy's favorite candy?” 

“Milky Ways!” They both laugh until they're out of breath. 

Raven sits back down on the bed, noticing Clarke's serious expression. “What is it?” 

“What if it doesn't work out? I don't know what I'd do if he ever found someone else...” 

“Are you serious? You two work on Doctor Who fanart together. You both own every Star Wars book and sit in the planetarium for fun. You're both nerdy as hell,  _ you're _ just better at hiding it. You two are made for each other,” Raven says. 

“I've loved him for nearly ten years, Rae.” 

“So the sex should be great.” 

\---

Octavia comes over the night of the party, saying she wants to help Clarke with her makeup. 

“I'm gonna make you look fucking hot,” Octavia says. 

“I always look hot.” 

“Yeah but I'm gonna make you look so hot that Bel has to kiss you.” 

“I think I can handle that myself, thanks,” Clarke tells her. 

“So you're actually going to kiss him?” Octavia says excitedly. 

Clarke sighs, “Maybe... How did you know?” 

“That you totally want to bone my brother? I'm not blind. The only people Bel is affectionate with is me and you. And I'm his sister so... That leaves you. And besides, he told me he's been in love with you since college.”

“He did not tell you that! Did he?” 

“I don't know... I could be making it up... Or not...” 

“Just do my makeup,” Clarke says. “I'll let you know if I bone your brother.” 

“Ew... Please don't.” 

\--- 

Clarke sits in her car for a moment, trying to calm herself down before going up to Bellamy's apartment. 

Everyone has told her that this will end well, that Bellamy feels the same way, but that still doesn't help her nerves. Clarke isn't good with words, that's Bellamy's thing. He was the one to help her with all her essays back in school. What is she going to tell him? This definitely deserves more than just ‘I'm in love with you, let's make out’. She wants him to know everything. 

Sure the making out would be good too, but she wants him in every sense of the word. If she falls asleep on the couch after they've been hanging out, she wants him to lay in the bed with her instead of just tucking her in. She wants to drive out of the city with him and that stupid telescope, and kiss that stupid grin off his face rather than just grinning back. She wants to hear his drunken rants about black holes and be able to shut him up by kneeling in front of him. 

This is it, and there is a lot of relief in that as well the anxiety. 

So she turns off the car and walks up the stairs, her heels clicking against the floor. She  walks a little slower for a moment because the sound of heels against hardwood has always made her feel powerful and she could really use that right now. She looks down at her dress and, Raven was right, it does look like stars. She hopes it's not too obvious. After a deep breath she knocks on the door and waits. He opens the door and steps aside to let her in, sniffling. Clarke takes one look at him and sighs. “Take the tux off, go put on some pajamas.” 

“I'm fine, let's go,” he insists. 

“Your nose is red which means you've been blowing it and you sound stuffy. You have a cold. Pajamas, now.” 

“But we're both already dressed.” 

“And you'll feel even worse if we go out,” she looks at him and can tell he is deciding whether or not to fight her on this. “I'll stay with you. Now go.” 

He gives her a dirty look which she returns before pushing him towards his room. She takes off her heels and sets them beside the door next to all of Bellamy's shoes. Then she goes to sit on the couch to wait for him to come back out. 

“You can borrow something,” he says as he joins her in the living room. “If you don’t want to stay in that dress.” 

“Are you kidding me? I look beautiful, I'm not changing until I get back home.” 

“You always look beautiful,” he tells her. He’s sincere and is looking at her with a small smile and she thinks she might be blushing. Just a little bit though. “Is it a Criminal Minds kind of night?” 

“Only if we watch Lauren.” 

“You're going to cry and ruin your makeup,” he says. 

“You've seen me look worse,” she remind him. 

“That's true. I was there the first time you put on makeup...” 

“If I remember correctly, I did your makeup that day too,” she says. 

“I don't know what your talking about. I totally rocked that pink lipstick, Princess.” 

“Yeah whatever. Can we put on Netflix now?” she asks, laying back against the arm of the couch and putting her feet in his lap. 

“Oh my gosh, you put on pantyhose for this. I feel terrible now that we aren't going.” 

She rolls her eyes, “First you call me a princess for wanting to dress up, and now you don't like it?” 

“I'm just shocked is all,” he puts his hands up in surrender. “I'm used to you in leggings when you come over.” 

She smiles and turns her attention back to the tv. They watch a few episodes before Clarke decides that Bellamy is right and she changes into one of his hoodies and a pair of pajama pants. 

He chuckles when she comes back into the room. 

“What? Why are you laughing?” 

“You're so tiny that you have to roll up the bottom of the pants  _ and  _ the top,” he says, still laughing. 

“You're such a dick! Don't make fun of my height I'm only six inches shorter than you.” 

She grabs a pillow and his him over the head. It isn't long before Bellamy grabs a pillow of his own to fight back. Bellamy goes for a hit to Clarke's shoulder and accidentally knocks over a cup of soda that was on the table. 

“You are so lucky you have hardwood floors,” Clarke says before deciding to tease him. Teasing him is always the way to go. “How could you be so careless, Bel...” 

“You're the one who started this, Princess. And I'm gonna end it!” He lunges at her, grabbing her around the waist and falls back onto the couch with her in his arms. 

“Let me go,” she shrieks, grabbing at his wrists to get them off her. When he lets go, she sits up and turns around so she's straddling his waist. 

He takes a deep breath and she feels herself doing the same. 

“Bellamy...” she breathes. Her heart starts going crazy even though all he's doing is looking up at her. His eyes search hers like there is an answer there. “Bel, I have to tell you something.” 

“What's that?” he whispers. 

“I'm in love with you. I love your glasses still and I love your ugly sweaters that not even the 90’s would want back. I love texting you in the middle of the night and hearing you tell me all about Saturn's moons. I've been in love with you since I was 16 and I can't imagine my life without you. I love what we have but I just want to kiss you all the time and I want you to be mine and I want to be yours,” she says, a smile on her face. “I just hate that you pick tonight to have a fucking cold because I can't kiss you.” 

“Princess, I fell in love with you as soon as you got me that NASA patch to iron onto my backpack.” 

“So I could have been kissing you for the past nine years?” 

“Well hopefully we'd do more than kiss. I mean, after nine years-” 

“Screw it,” she says, leaning down to kiss him. He laughs against her lips, sliding his hand into her hair. Clarke rests her forehead against his when she pulls away to catch her breath. “I love you. I love you so fucking much.” 

“Enough to kiss me while I have a cold apparently,” he says quietly. His hands move down to her hips and his thumbs rub circles into the exposed skin under the hoodie.

“I've been with you all night. If I'm going to get your cold, I would have already gotten it.” 

“So romantic. So you actually pay attention when I talk about Saturn's moons?” he teases. 

She sits up and laughs, “You're so annoying.” 

He grins at her. This funny little smile that seems shy and bright at the same time. “I love you, Princess.” 

“Good. Because now you're stuck with me.” 

“I am more than okay with that.” 

\---

Three years later they name their first daughter Nova Olivia. 


End file.
